10 Lawyer Questions Concerning Military Duty in 2024

1. What is the current draft age in the Russian Federation?

As of January 1, 2024, male citizens aged 18 to 30 are subject to being drafted for military service.

The draft age has changed from the previous 18 to 27 age range.

2. If I turn 27 years old in 2023, will I be subject to the draft in 2024?

No. Men turning 27 before January 1, 2024 will not be subject to being drafted for military service in 2024.

Thus, the men who will be subject to the raise in the draft age will be those born on January 1, 1997 or after.

3. My legal residential address has changed. Do I need to inform the draft office and have myself removed from military registration?

If your new registration address is located within the same district, you will need to notify the draft office of your change of address, however there won't be any need to remove yourself from military registration. However, if your new registration address is within the limits of another district, you will need to have yourself removed from military registration and have your military registration processed in the district you’ve moved to.

All you have to do to have yourself removed from state registration is bring your passport and military registration card (registration certificate) with you.

To have your military registration reprocessed under your new place of residence, you will need to bring your passport, your military registration card (registration certificate), and your driver's license (if you have acquired one). Some military recruitment offices also require education documents and 6 photographs.

4. I intend to go abroad for a period of longer than 6 months. Will I need to notify the military recruitment office of that?

Yes, you are required to notify the military recruitment office in the event you plan to go abroad for a period of over 6 months. You will need to do that at least 2 months before you leave the country. On top of that, will need to attach documents to the notice as proof, such as a copy of your tickets, your visa, your permanent resident card, your work contract, and your education agreement with a foreign college.

5. Can I have myself removed from military registration or have my military registration processed by way of a power of attorney?

Under current law, there is no envisaged method to do so, yet at the same time, it is also not directly prohibited. Some military recruitment offices refuse to accept any documents by power of attorney whatsoever; others accept them but reject forms, claiming that they aren’t properly filled out; still others accept powers of attorney, no questions asked.

6. Can I have myself removed from military registration or have my military registration processed via the “Gosuslugi” (“State Services”) internet portal?

Yes, that possibility is expressly envisaged by law. In practice, however, this option falls flat, as military recruitment offices can generate rejections just a few minutes after a message is received, stating that the person did not appear at the military recruitment office in person, or provide some other made-up excuse to reject the message.

Court practice adheres to the position that until United State Register of Persons Liable to Military Service begins operation, documents are required to be submitted in person.

7. I am a draft-age male and am planning to renounce my Russian citizenship. Do I need to submit any documents for military duty purposes?

Yes, at this point in time, you are required to submit those types of documents. The individual would have to provide proof that they've completed involuntary service or have been exempted from involuntary service for legal reasons.

If no such legal basis exists, the person would not be able to renounce citizenship until reaching the age of 30.

8. If I’ve lived abroad since I was a child, never been registered at any military recruitment office, never had any permanent registration, and never actually lived in Russia, would I also need to provide those documents to the military recruitment office to renounce my Russian citizenship?

Yes. The Law provides no exemptions for citizens who live permanently abroad.

Based on a formal interpretation of the law, in your case, you would have to have your military registration processed at a military recruitment office in Russia (not having a registration is not grounds for refusal of military registration). After that, you will have to complete involuntary service or gain an exemption from completing involuntary service for legal reasons.

Only after that would you be able to apply to renounce your Russian citizenship.

9. I have reached the age of 30, have never completed involuntary service, and also have never received any summons from a military recruitment office. Will I be issued a military card?

In that case, you were supposed to have your military registration processed yourself at the your residential district center after reaching the age of 16.

Not having received any summonses from the military recruitment office is not a legitimate reason to not complete military service. For that reason, they will not issue you a military card after the age of 30.

If a person has not completed involuntary service and is not declared unfit (insufficiently fit) for military service, then rather than obtaining a military card at the military recruitment office, he will obtain a Form in Lieu of a Military Card. This is issued to persons who are in the reserve but who did not complete military service after being drafted without having a legal justification for failing to do so.

10. Are there any basic differences between a military card and a form in lieu of a military card?

In the case you've been issued a Form in Lieu of a Military Card, you have been deemed as not having completed military service without providing any legal justification for failing to do so. In that case, you will not be able to hold any state civil service positions.

However, if you get hired to any other job, the employer does not have the right to refuse to hire you on grounds that you don't hold a military card.